Monthly Archives: June 2011

Good Service at Willamette Dental

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by Gexydaf
, a photo by Gexydaf on Flickr.

Not every day is a park, a restaurant or a museum… some days are the dentist. And today was such a day for both my daughter and I. I have to say that the care has always been good for me at Williamette Dental, but as of late, their service has greatly improved. We got appointments for the same date/time and instead of having to wait for months, it took less than a week. And they are now providing reminder calls. I’m impressed! Our previous dentist moved on, but I really like the new one. So, altogether, not as much fun as many things, but not bad either.

https://www.willamettedental.com/en_US/index.php

Thorp Mill

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Thorp Mill by Gexydaf
Thorp Mill, a photo by Gexydaf on Flickr.

On Sunday (I’m running a tad behind in my write ups!) we went to visit the Historic Thorp Mill in Thorp, WA, about 14 miles west of Ellensburg. I’ve always loved this historic mill but it is usually closed when I visit. This time, not only was it open, but there was a guide to take us through and explain everything. I wish I had gotten her name, because she was great! We learned that the mill was constructed in 1885. The farmers would bring their grain into the mill and the grain would go to the upper levels to be ground into various degrees of coarseness. Little scoops on a vertical conveyer belt took the grains up and gravity brought them back down. We also learned that the little town of Thorp was one of the first small towns to have electrical power because of the mill. Most importantly I was pleased that the two teens found it all so interesting!

Guided tours are available June through August. If you visit during the cooler months, there is a self guided tour around the building. There is no cost, but donations are gladly accepted.

http://www.thorp.org/

Wiener Dogs and Windmills

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Once in a while I go to two wonderful, new places in one day and I usually decide which one to blog about.  But Saturday’s two places are just so wonderful that I’m doing a double entry — Wiener Dogs and Windmills!

We went to Ellensburg for a quick get away and where delighted to find out that it was the 9th anniversary celebration of Dachshunds on Parade.  We got there late for the parade (next year!), but made it in time for the pet tricks and races.  Apparently Dachshunds have their own thoughts about if they should be racing.  There were races in which all of the dogs flew from one end of the track to the other.  There were races where the dogs got away from their owners before the ready-set-go and races where none of the dogs went anywhere (except maybe rolling over on their backs!).  One race, a dog ran right into the stands!  It was really a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours!  And I’ve never seen so many Dachshunds at once!

http://www.dachshundsonparade.com/

Afterward, we traveled about 15 miles outside of Ellensburg to the Wild Horse Wind Farm.  I’ve always wanted to see the wind turbines up close and they were glorious!  It was pretty windy when we got to the information center and the employees explained that they don’t give tours when the wind is over 25 miles per hour.  But still we looked all over the information center and got to touch one of the blades that they have at ground level and see the solar panels and hear the wonderful whomp, whomp, whomp of the blades as they turned.  The view was wonderful also.

http://www.pse.com/inyourcommunity/kittitas/Pages/Wild-Horse.aspx

All in all, it was a very successful day!

Art Lives at Dick and Jane’s Spot!

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IMG_1689.JPG by Gexydaf

We go through Ellensburg, WA a couple of times a year and often stop to admire Dick and Jane’s Spot at 101 North Pearl Street. I’ve not seen a better collection of joyful folk art! Dick and Jane purchased the house in 1978 and began to add folk art (theirs and other artists). Dick passed away in 2008, but Jane continues to live in the house.

Their tag line is “Art for the heart, from the heart, in the heart of Washington”.

Their story can be found here:
http://www.reflectorart.com/spot/index.html

Charles D. Lancaster Temple

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Built in the 1960s, the Charles D. Lancaster Masonic Temple at 4814 108th Street SW in Lakewood, WA is austere. While I’m sure it is to their advantage to have plenty of parking, the site would aesthetically benefit from some landscaping. The top photo shows the building from the front and the bottom photo shows it from the rear.

http://www.grandchapterofwashington.org/12_grand_chapter_chapters.html

Mr. Mac has moved, but not far

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Mr. Mac by Gexydaf
Mr. Mac, a photo by Gexydaf on Flickr.

I’ve long admired the shiny black tile that fronts the building now occupied by Mr. Mac (1124 Martin Luther King Jr. Way). The space had previously been occupied by Cost Less Wholesale. Per their sign, Mr. Mac features the latest fashions and shoes for men.

Engine House No. 9

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We went back to the 6th Avenue Farmer’s Market today, but I had already used that as my place of the day.  When I looked around, I realized the market was right smack in front of Engine House No. 9 (E9) .  I love E9!  It is a restaurant/brew pub situated in a beautifully restored 1907 fire station.  The Engine House moved out of the building in 1965 and it was remodeled as a tavern in 1973.  The property was placed on the national historic register in 1975. Microbrew beer was served here as of 1984 and it became the first non-smoking tavern in Pierce County in 1992.

http://www.ehouse9.com/index.php

 

Yakima Avenue Garden, a community garden

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Tacoma is lucky that it has so many community gardens. Today I stopped to take a photo of the Yakima Avenue Garden on Yakima Avenue, just north of South 48th Street. The garden has 19 raised beds, most of which are full of veggies.

www.growlocaltacoma.com/gardens/156/yakima-an d-s-48th

www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_1259400874 22074

Fred Meyer has pretty much everything!

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While reading over the Sunday paper, I noticed that Fred Meyer at 6305 South Bridgeport was having a sale that included a tech gadget I had been needing. And I also needed groceries and the kid was demanding new sheets (something about a huge hole in hers!). Luckily Fred Meyer’s seems to have it all. The Fred Meyer in University Place is a newer building and is well maintained. Its a bit further for me to drive, but seems worth it to me.

http://www.fredmeyer.com/